﻿FOOD 
  PROBLEMS 
  IN 
  WARTIME 
  — 
  COWGILL 
  593 
  

  

  this 
  factor 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  known. 
  It 
  was 
  the 
  first 
  to 
  receive 
  thorough 
  

   scientific 
  investigation. 
  At 
  the 
  risk 
  of 
  seeming 
  to 
  emphasize 
  the 
  

   obvious, 
  I 
  must 
  summarize 
  briefly 
  important 
  facts 
  centering 
  around 
  

   food 
  energy. 
  Failure 
  to 
  "eat 
  sufficient 
  calories" 
  results 
  in 
  loss 
  of 
  

   body 
  weight 
  because 
  the 
  energy 
  cost 
  of 
  living 
  cannot 
  be 
  dodged, 
  and 
  

   therefore 
  the 
  body 
  consumes 
  its 
  own 
  tissues 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  secure 
  the 
  

   needed 
  energy. 
  Conscious 
  and 
  planned 
  reduction 
  in 
  consumption 
  of 
  

   calories 
  as 
  a 
  means 
  of 
  reducing 
  weight 
  is 
  the 
  scientific 
  basis 
  for 
  the 
  

   so-called 
  Hollywood 
  diet 
  by 
  which 
  one 
  "eats 
  to 
  get 
  thin." 
  The 
  amount 
  

   of 
  energy 
  required 
  by 
  a 
  normal 
  individual 
  is 
  related 
  to 
  his 
  age, 
  sex, 
  

   body 
  size, 
  and 
  amount 
  of 
  muscular 
  exercise, 
  this 
  last 
  named 
  being 
  

   most 
  variable 
  and 
  perhaps 
  the 
  most 
  significant 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  factors 
  listed. 
  

  

  The 
  layman 
  frequently 
  asks 
  whether 
  mental 
  effort 
  or 
  "strain" 
  has 
  

   an 
  energy 
  cost. 
  In 
  discussing 
  this 
  topic, 
  one 
  must 
  distinguish 
  

   between 
  the 
  energy 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  special 
  activity 
  of 
  brain 
  cells 
  associated 
  

   with 
  intense 
  cerebration 
  and 
  the 
  energy 
  demands 
  due 
  to 
  emotional 
  

   reactions 
  which 
  involve 
  greater 
  muscular 
  activity. 
  It 
  has 
  proved 
  

   impossible 
  to 
  measure 
  the 
  energy 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  mental 
  effort 
  involved 
  in 
  

   studying 
  for 
  an 
  examination, 
  for 
  example; 
  it 
  doubtless 
  exists 
  but 
  is 
  

   so 
  small 
  a 
  fraction 
  of 
  the 
  total 
  energy 
  exchange 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  that 
  it 
  

   cannot 
  be 
  measured 
  by 
  the 
  methods 
  used 
  hitherto. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  

   emotional 
  reaction 
  or 
  "strain" 
  that 
  brings 
  about 
  greater 
  muscular 
  

   activity, 
  more 
  intense 
  application 
  to 
  a 
  task 
  requiring 
  muscular 
  effort 
  

   or 
  activity 
  of 
  a 
  different 
  sort, 
  is 
  thereby 
  associated 
  with 
  a 
  greater 
  

   energy 
  exchange; 
  in 
  this 
  situation 
  it 
  is 
  obvious 
  that 
  the 
  energy 
  cost 
  

   being 
  measured 
  is 
  quite 
  definitely 
  related 
  to 
  greater 
  activity 
  of 
  the 
  

   muscles. 
  

  

  Measurements 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  of 
  the 
  energy 
  costs 
  of 
  various 
  occu- 
  

   pations, 
  and 
  the 
  results 
  have 
  constituted 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  numerous 
  tables 
  

   published 
  in 
  standard 
  texts. 
  Of 
  course, 
  the 
  energy 
  cost 
  of 
  the 
  soldier's 
  

   life 
  needs 
  investigating, 
  and 
  such 
  studies 
  have 
  in 
  fact 
  been 
  made. 
  

   The 
  results 
  of 
  these 
  investigations 
  have 
  been 
  utilized 
  in 
  the 
  formula- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  special 
  rations 
  intended 
  for 
  use 
  in 
  special 
  situations. 
  

  

  In 
  these 
  days 
  of 
  modern 
  mechanized 
  warfare, 
  the 
  troops 
  may 
  

   move 
  very 
  fast, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  always 
  practical 
  for 
  the 
  mess 
  sergeant 
  

   and 
  cook 
  to 
  set 
  up 
  the 
  old-style 
  traveling 
  kitchen. 
  A 
  food 
  that 
  is 
  

   concentrated, 
  readily 
  digested, 
  nutritionally 
  complete, 
  easily 
  eaten, 
  

   and 
  packaged 
  in 
  a 
  way 
  that 
  permits 
  rough 
  handling 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  is 
  

   the 
  ideal 
  aimed 
  at 
  for 
  this 
  warfare. 
  Such 
  a 
  ration 
  has 
  been 
  devised. 
  

   It 
  has 
  been 
  tested 
  on 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Subsistence 
  Research 
  Labora- 
  

   tory 
  and 
  also 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  in 
  mountainous 
  country 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  desert, 
  

   and 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  judged 
  satisfactory. 
  For 
  example, 
  Field 
  Eation 
  K 
  

   is 
  a 
  three-meal 
  package 
  of 
  concentrated 
  food 
  furnishing 
  3,726 
  calories 
  

   and 
  packed 
  in 
  a 
  heat-and-cold-proof 
  box, 
  6 
  by 
  6 
  by 
  4 
  inches. 
  The 
  

  

  